1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a method and system for signal distribution and, more particularly, to an intelligent device system and method for distribution of digital signals onto, and off of, a wideband signal distribution system.
2. Description of the Background
The workplace currently has telephone and data networks that allow for both verbal communication and the exchange of information via words, pictures, and numbers. However, bringing the communication media of television and video into the networked environment has presented new difficulties. In particular, digital TV/video applications clog data networks, even with the use of available compression techniques, such as MPEG2. Analog RF distribution may require special cables and infrastructure, or more complex technologies.
However, using a wideband signal distribution system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,340, TV and video, both digital and analog, can now move between locations in a building or campus just as easily, and using the same infrastructure, as voice and data. In fact, TV, video, PBX, IP, and other data types can be moved over the same types of wires, including some unused wires, that already exist in most networked environments. For example, telephone and computer networks in most buildings are wired to meet a single, internationally accepted wiring standard using, such as Category 5 or better twisted pair wiring. Residential buildings are often wired to similar standards. In typical applications using analog video over standard wiring systems, the analog video arrives uncompressed, and the user sees it on a TV, PC or monitor in enhanced quality. This method of live-feed video transfer allows for the removal of space consuming files and applications currently stored on a network.
However, using solely uncompressed analog transfer of information does not fully solve the need to download to individual users large quantities of digitized images (video, film, animation, simulations, etc.), and to thereby allow those digital images to be displayed with the enhanced quality such digital images can offer. At times, critical needs for digital video, such as analyzing or editing images, arise that cannot be handled by purely analog signal transfer. Additionally, where digital video information is sent over a baseband LAN, i.e. Ethernet, the performance of the system is often severely degraded as the digital video is sent simultaneously to an increasingly greater number of receivers.
Furthermore, digital IP data has historically been transferred using digital data networks, i.e. has been transferred in a digitized format over a network capable of transporting a purely digitized format. However, analog carrier networks, using twisted pair wiring, for example Category 5 Cable or better, have the capability to transport digital video, IP voice/data/video, as well as analog video, efficiently and cost effectively. This capability is not presently used due to the lack of a method to get such signals onto and off of such a carrier network.
It would be desirable to transport the digitized data on an analog carrier, such as over the existing Category 5 or better cable, in a format that would allow for greater amounts of data to be carried at one time, such as by modulated RF. In addition, it may be desirable in the future to use media other than Category 5 or better cabling to wire buildings. Alternative wiring media, or wireless media, could allow the network to overcome bandwidth problems by providing significantly improved data transfer speeds and increased bandwidth. Such alternative media could allow the network to overcome the aforementioned problems in transferring data and video over networks in a digitized format. However, such alternative wiring media will also require the complete rewiring of many networks on, perhaps, a building environment level, as all Category 5 or better cable will need to be replaced with the new media, in order to provide the enhanced capabilities of the alternative media system to all users.
Therefore, the need exists for a network of intelligent devices that enables digital video, IP voice/data/video, to be modulated and demodulated onto and off of, preferably, a wideband signal distribution system or component equivalent, such as an analog carrier system. Such an intelligent device network would facilitate the use of, for example, the existing global EIA/TIA 568 standard wiring infrastructure in a particular environment, such as an office building, to significantly increase the information throughput. Additionally, such an intelligent device network would eliminate the need to rewire a building or add expensive optoelectronic equipment to increase throughput on the existing infrastructure.